Man who handed himself to police over deadly Mthatha taxi violence released

One of the five men, who handed themselves over to SAPS Provincial Task Team investigators on Wednesday, has been released as he cannot be positively inked to a incident of taxi violence that left two people dead and eight injured on the 14th of March. The incident is currently under investigation by the Task Team.

"The remaining four suspects will appear in the Mthatha Magistrate’s court on Thursday," said police spokesperson, Captain Khaya Tonjeni.

The five men, who handed themselves over in Mthatha, are aged between 23 and 32 years and are from Ngqeleni and Port St Johns.

Their arrest came after police arrested another seven suspects, aged between 29 and 70 years, in Port St Johns and Libode in connection with the taxi violence last week.  Read more, HERE.

The SAPS' Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga, on Wednesday welcomed the arrestes and said that; "It is clear that the determination as well as non-biased action by the Provincial Task Team is paying off.

"This is an indication that the Task Team is making an impact into this investigation and the perpetrators are realizing that it is futile to try and evade arrest. More arrests are imminent and this should send out a strong message that the SAPS in the Province will not allow groups or individuals to create chaos in our communities, she concluded."

The SAPS Provincial Task Team was established to investigate the violent incident at Ntlaza Taxi Rank in Mthatha when a shootout errupted between two rival taxi associations.

The seven men will all appear again in the Ngqeleni Magistrates Court on the 5th of April 2017.